Burr and Burton Academy - Burtonian Yearbook (Manchester, VT)

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THE BURTONIAN THE B RTO IA JUNE 1932 ON BEING A CHAUFFEUSE SKINNER PRIZE ESSAY By Laura Wade 1931 Most people like to ride 111 automobiles and a fair share like to :be drlven There are those who themselves know how to drive and then those who th1nk they do To the professional drlver the latter class seems terribly large These people characterize all speeders as wild or reckless but any real driver knows the difference between speeding and reckless driving and knows that it is a question of control and experience and alertness and not miles per hour And these same people who think they know how to drive will call a woman who goes forty five on a straightaway reckless but a man who passes on a hill travelzng at the ra e of fifteen m1les an hour is pe fectly all right Thus while lt is a Joy to d ive for some people for others it rbecomes a task To satisfy every one if one IS as I am a chauieus it becomes necessary to be able to speed or to drive all afternoon at twenty miles an hour listen to 'backseat driving and be nice about lt care for the timid souls fespccially crossxng railioad tracksl have information about the history of the country and the best places to shop and eat at one s fingertips and cater in general to all the passenaers wants and desires to the best of one s ability A chauffeuse must do more than Just drive There were once tvso elderly ladies hexe for the summer who wished to character and my family history they decided to accept me for their chauf feuse The first day that I took them out they asked to see the town and inquired about who lived in every house we passed As we went by one large pla e and I told them who lived there they fairly squealed for Joy be ause they were sure it vsas their former pastor The next dr1ve should include a call at the Peterss house I would please call for them at tvso thirty and then after the call we should go for a short r1de In case of rain-abut oh no lllde d' They never went when it rained driving in the rain was too dangerous because cars skid' The d y for the Peterss call arrived bright and clear I drove up to Mrs Cramer s summer cottage iMrs Cramer was the elder of my two lad csl five mlnutes ahead of t1m so surely to be punctual and I was none too early for there were the two old ladies awaiting my arrival They were decked out like June brides The younger one Miss Edwards wore high white shoes and never shall I forget those shoes' A blue rosette ornamented the top of each Just what for I dont know unless to cover the shoestrlngs Both ladies were as excited as children over a Ch11stmas tree and talked so fast that I didn t have a chance to answer half the questions they asked me We reached the Peters s house about three and I waited in the car read ing Half an hour passed and the southern bree e that had been gently , 1 4 1 , . , . . . V . , - .1 - ,, .. H- , - I 1 - ,- X - ' u 11 V . . , . . .... , 1, , 1' . ' . . . . . V. . 1 - 1 - I . Y. . y 1 I 8-. I Y . A . 2 . . . . . 3 . . , - 3 go for a drive every other day. After many inquiries about my personal , - . ' ' , C A Y . , . . Y C , V . V . . . ' . 1 , ' -1 1 1 N . ' . 1 U . Q , . . . ' . - . i ' ' n T VY ' 1 Y ' I Q ' . 1 1 l -. , , . .1 , ,U Y . . Y - . , Z '

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THE SEMIN -XRY 1 v 4

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THE BURTONIAN blowing grew stronger Soon large clouds began to gather and as I gazed at the sky I began to fear that a storm was due In the distance I could hear low mutterlngs of thunder Not more than fifteen mlnutes passed when blg drops of water splashed on the hood of the car I wondered if I should inform my tlmld souls of what was happenmg and thought remembering their fear of skidding that they might thlnk me mconsxderate if I failed to do so But by the time they came out lt was ralnmg hard the thunder and lightning vxele well at work and I knew I was ln for a pleasant iive miles drive While Dr Peters was 1n Slght my two ladies appeared very fbrave although they were both shaking like scared rabbits as I could see but once we were on the road I expected at least a case of hysterlcs 1f not an entire loss of consclousness They sald very lxttle and I drove at the slowest poss ble rate assuring them that there was no danger from lightning in a car for the rulblber tlres served as an insulation Ca useful theory which alas has been explodedj They seemed grateful for this crumb of comfort and reminded each other that they had never lfnown a car to be struck by lightning I was rather pleased at my success in making them at least a degree more comfort able What I was mos' concerned about ho vever was how I should get them from the car to the house I stopped at the entrance x hlch was near a large elm tree and they did not ofrer to move Then with great d1f'iculty they said in chorus that they d rather walt in the car lf I dld not mind they thought 1t might be safer I glanced at the tree and moved the car out of range ID case It should attract the lightning They gave me a Questioning look and mlldly protested that big tree had seemed so n1ce and friendly and its branches made such a protection' But when I explained they exclaimed 1n alarm and urged me to go even farther away Luckily the storm passed picked their way up the soaking path to the house apparently none the worse for their adventure A telephon call two days later saying they would not go dr1v nv and asking me to come down 1mmed1'1tely made me wonder if the strain had been too much I hurried down and was greeted at the door by Mrs Cramer who 1mplored me to go at once to the attic I could not irnagme wh1t was the matter but took two steps at a time up two flights and much out of breath arrived at the foot of the attic stairs to find a human form disposed In a. rather acrolbatxc posltlon with one high vvhlte shoe a rosette on top hung around the newel post as though 1t were entlrely detacl ed from the body and an aim shot through the hamsters It was laughable but I was much too frightened to laugh and much too concerned as to what I should do and why I had been called W1 h Mrs Cramer s help I proceeded to untangle the unfor tunate Miss Edwards and bring he to w1th cold vsater I then sent for the doctor and waited to Hnd out what I was to do next It seemed that Miss Edwards had a pass on for l1lV9Stlg3.f1OI1 and she had grown curious about what the attic was lke She proceeded therefore to find out The st'11rs were very steep and narrow and a few sta1rs up she lost her balance and landing at the bottom had famted Presently when the physlcxan was ready to leave Mrs Cramer dismissed me and I went home The next morn ng I was algaxn called to the phone and asked to come quickly as poss1ble to Mis Cramers Again I hurried down wonderxng what would happen next It was not an accldent this tlme I must however lace and tie Mrs Cramer s 6 4 - . 1 W ' ' W - , . . X . . . X . U . X Q . . , . , . . X . . X X . X X X 0 X X . . X .N X Q . X . . . X . . X i X X . . . X I - Y Y , J ' v ' , . X . n. ' , Y , ' ,. . , 'J I 1 A A - 1 n c . - , . , X X. . X . . . Y X . . , . A . X X XG X A . . - XX X . . . - , beyond us in another half hour, and ,my two ladies raised their skirts and . . . L V , e , , ' ' i C, . . ., X . . I - . ' , Y ' I . ., , :AX . . . X . . . . . X . . V . X X v ' b D I 1 . ' 1 ' ' . , 'o' rr 1 , -,, . - L . ' ' ' U. I, as u ' , b 2 . . . X . ' i . , , . . ' I W ' I V L C 1 X , X . X X . . . , . . 1 . , ' I . . . . . , 1? I ! '